Your Turn – Sept. 7, 2011

Re: “Climate crisis is not just an inconvenience” (Guest Voice, Aug. 31, by Loretta Van Coppenolle):

Van Coppenolle wrote one of the most brilliant commentaries on climate change I’ve read. We’re facing a serious, life-or-death problem and the fanatic, intentionally undereducated right-wingers are screaming that there is not enough evidence for climate change.

Let me ask them and E-N readers: What would it hurt to conserve energy, plant trees, use green solutions and avoid dirty and dangerous energy sources and stop clear-cutting land?

It would seem that the conservative way to address the issue would be to use caution and follow conservation measures. That plan would not hurt anything. We have had wild fire after wild fire recently and the hottest summer in history.

The idea of continuing to abuse our environment until someone “proves” to the doubters that there is a connection between our actions and climate change is insane. If we allow developers and fanatics to make the decisions then this year’s climate excesses may seem tame compared to those in the future.

Karen Dalglish Seal

Guest Voice lacking

Loretta Van Coppenolle needs to view the “Nova” program, “Secrets Beneath the Ice,” on PBS. It aired last month and reviewed the Andrill project data in Antarctica, which refutes human-caused global warming.

To summarize, the project documents more than 60 climate-change episodes over the last 5 million years (the beginning of the Pliocene Age). As no humans were then present to cause these changes, they must be natural.

To better understand climate change, Van Coppenolle should review Milankovitich cycles and their effects on climate. She also makes the common error of confusing weather with climate.

Robert W. Pettigrew,

Spring Branch

Let businesses act

If President Obama were serious about job creation he would support: 1. the AT&T merger with T-Mobile and; 2. Boeing’s move to South Carolina. Then we wouldn’t have to wait for his Wednesday night speech.

Bill Kriz

Some jobs czar!

General Electric is planning to move its X-ray division from Wisconsin to Beijing. GE will also invest some $2 billion in China, train more than 65 engineers and create six research centers.

This is the same GE that made $5.1 billion in the U.S. last year and (guess what?) paid no taxes! Also, GE employs more people overseas than it does in the U.S.

Ironically, President Obama just named GE CEO Jeff Immelt to head a panel on job creation. As job czar, he’s supposed to create jobs.

I guess Obama forgot to inform him in which country he was supposed to create those jobs. If this does not demonstrate a total lack of leadership and judgment on the part of the president, then I don’t know what does.

Paul K. Biever

Aid must have limits

Tens of thousands of Americans severely impacted by Hurricane Irene and her aftermath deserve all the help they can get, be it governmental or private.

If it’s governmental, it’s not unreasonable in view of the country’s financial mess to look for other areas from which money can be shifted into disaster relief to avoid exacerbating the unconscionable deficits under which we’re already laboring.

An Aug. 31 Express-News story quoted Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders as being “outraged” and finding “totally absurd” the concept that savings should be sought in other areas to offset the necessary emergency costs of disaster relief.

Sanders is off-base in two areas: Inflammatory rhetoric such as this will only impede any possible solution just as it has in almost everything government has been involved in for the last few years; second, we must change the government mind-set that fiscal difficulties can be solved by printing money and throwing it at the problem.

Government must act on the same basis we do. When confronted with unforeseen emergencies — like major medical expenses or critical property damage not covered by insurance or savings reserves — we cut back somewhere else (as painful as that may be) to cover the outlay.

Al Ely,

Fair Oaks

Why CPS bill is rising

Next time you get a large CPS Energy bill you can’t afford, remember this is going for a good cause — a $50,000 pay increase to a guy (CPS CEO Doyle Beneby) already making $360,000 a year.

Thanks to the Express-News and WOAI-TV for letting us know about Beneby’s pay raise and bonuses.

As a 19-year-old, fifth generation Texan not only do I support Gov. Rick Perry’s run for president, I stand by his record. Through his continued leadership Texas has become the most pro-business state in the nation with a regulatory climate conducive to productivity and growth.

Under Perry, our state has created 1 million new jobs, more than all other states combined. His outspoken advocacy of limited government has led to balancing the state budget without raising taxes. His fight for tort reform, low taxation and minimal regulation has moved Texas into the national spotlight.

Perry’s simple, effective governing philosophy has not only benefited the evil corporate jet owners but Texans of all income levels and backgrounds.

His greatest asset is he’s not an establishment Republican. Rather, he’s a principled conservative who understands how to promote business growth.

As Perry takes his fight for small, efficient government from Austin to Washington it would be nice to see Texas media focus less on campaigning and more on campaign journalism. I think readers of all political persuasions much prefer objectivity and truth over bias and distortion.

Kolton R. Warren,

New Braunfels

Gov’s message divisive

Rick Perry has pledged support for a constitutional amendment to deny rights to some Americans. He has made marriage inequality a priority instead of expanding rights for all Americans.

Perry should promote a constitutional right eliminating poverty and ensuring that everyone lives at a reasonable standard in the richest country in the world. He should want to guarantee health care for all. He should promise a decent and affordable public education all the way through college. He should promise that our water and air is free from pollution.

There are many things Perry should promise other than denying some Americans the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Mark Porter

Choose wisely

The abortion rights people have always argued that it is about “choice.” Their opposition to the sonogram bill demonstrates that they do not want people to have informed choice.